Jurors in the trial of Karen Read have unanimously found her not guilty of murder or leaving the scene of a deadly accident. The trial, which took place in Dedham, Massachusetts, ended in a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked on the remaining manslaughter charge.
According to Read's defense team, three jurors have reached out to them following the mistrial. The defense team is seeking permission from the judge to question all 12 jurors in an attempt to demonstrate that retrying Read for murder would constitute double jeopardy under Massachusetts law.
The charges against Read stem from an incident in January 2022, where she was accused of ramming her SUV into her Boston police officer boyfriend and leaving him for dead in a snowstorm.
The mistrial was declared on the fifth day of deliberations after the jury announced that they were hopelessly deadlocked. The defense team has raised concerns that the mistrial was declared without individual charges being addressed or allowing input from the lawyers.
According to the motion filed in Norfolk County Superior Court, the jurors indicated that they had voted 12-0 to acquit Read of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of the accident. However, they were deadlocked on the charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
As the legal proceedings continue, Read's defense team is pushing for the dismissal of the murder and leaving the scene charges based on the jury's unanimous decision. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the future of the trial and potential retrial of Karen Read.
